Vehicle-wheel.



L. ANDBRSON.

VEHIGLE WHEEL.

APPLIOATION PILIID Juma, 1914.

1 ,096,81 7, Palteented May 19, 1914.

.2720622 to ;yauwa/as aader'o w k g% gwg and the flanges 22.

be of any suitable construction, and ,may be hollow throughout theirextent, or they may be solid, but with their outer ends cupped toreceive and provide for radial movements of the shanks 11 of theadjoining spokes ,6. The spokes 8 are provided with small apertures 21,which serve the same purpose as the apertures 20.

Each tread block 2 is pivotally connected slots. In the `en'bodimentshown the fianges' 22 are spaced from the sides of the heads 12 andanti-friction rollers 27 are mounted on the pin 24, adjacent each sideof the head 12, taking up the spaces between said head The tread block 2is preferably formed on its inner face with longitudinal grooves orchannels 28, in which the rollers 27 work. The spoke `sections 6 'arepressed outwardly by the Springs 15, and 'the outward movement of saidspoke sections is resisted by the tread blocks. It follows that therollers 27 always work against the inner face of the tread block. Theslots 23 are of greater width than the diameter of the pin 24, and thediameter of the rollers 27 is selected to prevent said pin from normallycontacting with the inner longitudinal wall of said slot. The head 12 ofeach spoke section G is provided with oppositely beveled faces 29,disposed transversely of the wheel and meeting at a point in line withand slightly 'beyond the pin 24. These beveled faces 29 permit the treadblocks to yield in the plane of the wheel with reference to the pin 24as an axis, and said tread blocks, in their yielding action, may haveboth slidable and pivotal components of movements, their slidablemovement being due -to the fact that the pins 24 are movable lengthwiseof the slots 23, and their pivotal movement being due to the fact thatthe pins 24 provide a pivotal connection between the tread blocks 2 andthe heads 12. Stated otherwise, the tread blocls 2 are pivotally movablewith relation to the heads 12, and the axis of such pivotal movementvaries in accordance with the relative position of the pin 24 in theslots 23.

The tread l may be provided with a fieXible wear band or tire 30, andmay, if de sired, be incased in a flexible or resilient casing or tire(not shown). The said casing may be of suitable cross section, and thetread 1 and band 30, 'if the latter is used in connection with thecasing, may have any suitable cross section which conforms to that ofthe casing in which said tread is inclosed. hen the inclosing casing isused, its marginal portions will be suitably secured to the band 7.

The cushoning` of the yielding movements of the tread blocks is du'e,for the most part, to the resistance of the Springs 15, but in part,also, to a pneumatic cushion which is provided by the cylinder (S incombination with the flange 13, as is Obvious. The relation which thetread blocks have to one another and to the movable elements G -is suchthat any shocks which are encountered by a particular tread block, whileresisted, for the most part, by the cushioning element of such treadblock, are also, in part, andsubstantially, resisted by the other treadblocks throughout the extent of the wheel. In other words, wh-en a treadblock encounters an obstacle and is pushed inwardly consequent to theshock developed, the tread of the wheel is deformed or buckled for aconsiderable extent on each side of the block which encounters theobstacle, and the movements of those blocks which participate in suchdeformation or buckling are, of course, resisted by the cushioningelements associated therewith. In this way the wheel has easy ridingproperties, and offers efficient resistanceto shocks and stresses.

Reference has heretofore been made 'to the pins 24- as an aXis for themovements of the tread blocls. While this statement is correct, it isnevertheless to be observed that the 'actual fulcrum for each treadblock in its pivotal movement occurs on the peripheries of the rollers27, at some point in 'the length of the tread block, or in the lengthofthe grooves in which said rollers work. The best results, of course, aresecured by employing a relatively large number of tread blocks. Byactual experiment it has been found that highly satisfactory 'resultsare obtained in a construction -wherein thirty-six tread blocks areemployed.

Concerning the pins 17, it may be noted that these pins are not strictlynecessary :to the normal operation of the wheel, but they are ofadvantage in that they provide a positive connection between thesections of the cushioning elements and prevent any completedissociation of said sections in case of injury or breakage of an adjoining tread block.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A vehicle wheel comprising a flexible tread made up of hingedlyconnected tread blocks, means for cushioning the individual yieldingaction of the tread blocks and for 'holding said blocks in normalrelation, the 130 means comprising spokes made in telescoping Sectionsand Springs acting on the outer Sections of the spokes to move themoutwardly, the said outer Sections having heads at their outer ends andthe tread blocks having at their sides inwardly-extending fianges whichoverlie said heads, a transverse pin extending through each head andthrough each of the flanges adjacent thereto, one of the companionelements through which the pin extends having a longitudinal slotformation and the pin extending through said slot formation and beingfixed in the other companion element, and antifriction roller meansmounted on each pin to engage the inner face of the adjoining treadblock, each of said heads and the antifriction roller means associatedtherewith conjointly taking up the space between said flangcs and theheads being formed to permit pivotal movements of the tread blocks.

2. A Vehicle wheel comprising a flexible tread made up of hingedlyconnected tread blocks, means for cushioning the individual yieldingaction of the tread blocks and for holding said blocks in normalrelation, the means comprising spokes made in telescoping sections andSprings acting on the outer Sections of the spokes to move themoutwardly, the said enter sections having heads at their outer ends andthe tread blocks having at their sides inwardly-extending flanges whichoverlie said heads and are provided with longitudinal slots, atransverse pin extending through each head and through each of theflanges adjacent thereto, the pin being fixed in the head and extendingthrough the slots in said flanges and anti-friction roller means mountedon each pin to engage the inner face of the adjoining head block, eachof said heads and the anti-friction roller means associated therewithconjointly taking up the space between said flanges and the heads beingformed to permit pivotal movements of the tread blocks.

3. A Vehicle Wheel comprising a flexible tread made up of hingedlyconnected tread blocks, means for cushioning the individual yieldingaction of the tread blocks and for holding said blocks in normalrelation, the means comprising spokes made in telescoping seetions andSprings acting on the outer Sections of the spokes to move themoutwardly, the said outer sections having heads at their outcr ends andthe tread blocks having at their sides inwardly extending flanges whichoverlie said heads and are provided with longitudinal slots, atransverse pin extcnding through each head and through each of theflanges adjacent thereto, the pin being fixed in the head and extendingthrough the slots in said flanges, the head being of less width than thedistance between said flanges, and anti-friction rollers mounted on saidpin at each side of the head for engagement with the inner face of thetread block, the anti-friction rollers taking up the space between theheads and the flanges and the heads being formed to permit pivotalmovements of the tread blocks.

4. A Vehicle Wheel comprising a flexible tread made up of hingedlyconnected tread blocks, means for cushioning the individual yieldingaction of the tread blocks and for holding said blocks in normalrelation, the means comprising spokcs made in telescoping Sections andSprings acting on the enter Sections of the spokes to move themoutwardly, the said outer spoke Sections having heads and the treadblocks having flanges at the sides of said heads, transverse pinsconnecting said heads and said flanges and permitting of movement of thetread blocks in the plane of the Wheel, and anti-friction rollersmounted on said pins and engaging the inner face of the tread blocks.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosnbscribing witnesses.

LYCURGUS ANDERSON.

Witnesscs D. O. ANDERSON, M. J. THOMAS.

Copes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patets,`

Washington, D. G."

